{Review} City of Wishes (The Complete Cinderella Story) by Rachel Morgan

Cinderella retold: A human slave, a fae prince, and a Godmother who’ll grant any wish—if you pay the price.

In a world of fae, vampires and shifters, where magic is real and wishes can be bought and bargained for, Elle is on society's bottommost rung: she's human.

To make matters worse, she's also a slave, bound to her stepmother by magic.

Her only hope at freedom is to wish for it.

But the Godmother rules the illegal wish trade, and the price she demands is steep.

Elle has never been desperate enough to summon her.

Until now.

This collection includes all 6 episodes in the CITY OF WISHES Cinderella retelling:1. The Memory Thief2. The Vampire Trap3. The Moonlight Masquerade4. The Eternal Night5. The Starlight Quest6. The Everafter Wish

*Note:  This book was provided to The Book Hookup by the author but that did not in any way influence this review!

Ms. Morgan released this book in installments – one every few weeks until the entire story was told.  I both loved that and found it to be the utmost of torture.  Once again this author has given me characters who won over my heart and a storyline that captured my imagination.  But, having to wait to read what happens next…well, it didn’t always make me happy because I have definite issues with delaying satisfaction.  Lucky for all of you, the story is now complete and you’ll get to enjoy this captivating tale in one read.  And, trust me, you’ll be hard pressed to put it down once you’ve started it!

I struggled with how to write this review…my overall impressions or my feeling for each installment.  In the end, I decided to give you one review.  This way, I can gush all at once!  Let’s start with the ratings and then my thoughts (in what is, for sure, my longest review ever!).

Book Rating Breakdown
Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
General Book Feels
Overall:

First, lets talk about the story.  It’s a Cinderella retelling with an urban fantasy twist.  In this world, faeries, vampires, shifters, and humans live together but humans are second-class citizens.  In fact, they can be held as slaves.  And our main character, Elle, is just that, a slave to her stepmother.  Faerie essence can be used to make wishes and, of course, if you can’t get any essence, you can always call the godmother.  But, in this version, the godmother’s wishes come with a heavy price to pay.  Only the truly desperate reach out to her, including our Elle who wants to get out from under the slavery spell.  Once she summons the godmother all manner of twists and turn ensue.  This story will have you wondering what comes next and will surprise you at every turn.  I loved that the author was able to surprise me more than once!

Now let’s focus on the characters.  I absolutely adored Elle.  Her determination to be free, her love for her stepsister, her intelligence, and her sass make her one of my all-time favorite leading ladies.  She was a fighter, a character that you definitely would want on your side in a tricky situation, and she was loyal to a fault.  Every woman should have a best friend like Elle.  Of course, I fell head-over-heels for Dex as well.  The charming prince with the heart of gold had me swooning all over the place.  His determination to make the world a better place, his desire to help others, and his love for his friends and for Elle all had me melting like a puddle at his feet. *sigh*  Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about the godmother.  What a frustrating woman she was…and I say that with the utmost love.  Her hidden agenda had me guessing throughout the whole book and I’m not sure I still know what her endgame is.  But, ultimately, she was the perfect hero (who sometimes felt like a villain) for this story.  The secondary characters were wonderful as well and I’d love follow-up stories for Dex’s friends and Elle’s stepsister.

I can’t possibly leave you without a quick chat about the romance.  Yes, of course there’s romance.  It’s not the focus of the book but Elle and Dex have tremendous chemistry.  I loved their sweet romance and their sizzle.  And, since I’ve already demanded additional books, I’d like one more…the story of the wedding and the honeymoon please!

So, you may still be asking yourself why you should read this book.  And, it’s quite simple.  The writing is fantastic, the characters will win your heart, the storyline will have you on the edge of your seat, and the romance of it all will touch your soul.  It doesn’t matter if you normally read fantasy or if you believe in fairytales, this story will become a favorite…I’m sure of it.  I know it definitely is one of mine.  Thank you Rachel Morgan for once again sharing your amazing imagination with us all!

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